The GL8 Avenir is also available in a 6-seat version as well as an upgraded 7-seat layout.
Buick surprised many people last year when it presented the GL8 Avenir concept at Auto Shanghai, China. The minivan, pictured below, featured reclining rear seats and airline-style headrests. It also had the luxury and features of a premium sedan. Buick will make the concept a production model in 2020 by introducing the new GL8 Avenir, which has a four-seat layout. This model joins an upgraded seven-seat model as well as a six-seat version.
The top image is all we have for now, but you can see that the cabin was largely adapted from last year’s concept. Although the showcar’s nearly-full-length center console is absent from the production model of the car, the overall theme has remained the same. The comfortable rear seats look almost identical and there is plenty of legroom once you get rid of the second row. Since it now houses two digital screens, we are noticing a change in the dashboard.
The GL8 was introduced in 2000 and is Buick’s oldest surviving Chinese nameplate. It received the Avenir trim in 2016. Although the company won’t give too much information about the new version, it did say that the model’s four-seat design is a continuation of last year’s. The company promises “significant technology upgrades” to keep this model competitive and fresh.
The Buick Gl8 isn’t the only luxury minivan in China. In fact, the People’s Republic also sells the Mercedes V-Class. The two must now face a new competitor, Lexus. They introduced a Toyota Alphard-based LM last summer with an “opulent 4-seat configuration” and a regular 7-seat model.
Although luxury minivans may seem like a niche that is not worth exploring, MPVs still have a place in certain parts of the world where SUVs and crossovers aren’t yet dominant.